Persicaria hydropiper
smartweed, mild water-pepper
Specimens
Photos

Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across most of North America to the Atlantic Coast.

Habitat: Shores, swales, ditches, and disturbed ground.

Flowers: July-September

Origin: Introduced from Europe

Growth Duration: Annual

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Bees, flies, wasps

Description:
General:

Mostly glabrous annual, the stems rooting at the nodes, the upright stems simple to freely branched, peppery to the taste, the herbage with glands in small pits.

Leaves:

Leaves alternate, numerous, all cauline, only slightly reduced upward, the blades lanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate, 5-7 cm. long, the stipules up to 15 mm. long, oblique.

Flowers:

Inflorescence a terminal raceme and several lateral, spike-like, interrupted, lateral racemes 2-7 cm. long; pedicles 1-2 mm. long; perianth 3-4 mm. long, glandular, attached to about mid-length, the 4 segments greenish with white or pink margins, oblong; stamens 4 or 6; styles 2 or 3, distinct.

Fruits:

Achenes brown, 3 mm. long.

Accepted Name:
Persicaria hydropiper (L.) Spach
Publication: Hist. Nat. Vég. 10: 536. 1841.

Synonyms & Misapplications:
Polygonum hydropiper L. [HC]
Polygonum hydropiper L. var. projectum Stanford
Additional Resources:

PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Persicaria hydropiper in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database.

WA Flora Checklist: Persicaria hydropiper checklist entry.

OregonFlora: Persicaria hydropiper information.

E-Flora BC: Persicaria hydropiper atlas page.

CalPhotos: Persicaria hydropiper photos.

USDA Plants: Persicaria hydropiper information.

17 photographs:
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